Strain sensors measure strain resulting from applied deformations based on a change in an electrical characteristic (e.g., a resistance, an inductance, or a capacitance) of electrical elements (such as resistive strain gauges, capacitive sensors, or inductive sensors) formed therein. However, strain sensors that measure an individual electrical characteristic (e.g., a resistance change or a capacitance change) resulting from applied deformations in isolation lack the ability to discern and differentiate different types of deformations. As one example, a resistive strain-gauge lacks the ability to disambiguate a stretching deformation from a bending deformation.